According
to French financial newspaper La Tribune, France
just signed a defense contract (valued at more than 1 billion
Euros) for the upgrade and modernization of 4 Al Medinah class
Frigates and 2 Boraida class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment
(AOR) vessels.

As
Russian warships head towards Eastern Mediterranean, US Navy deploys
a fifth Destroyer

Russia
has just deployed the Admiral Panteleyev, an Udaloy I class
(Project 1155R Fregat) anti-submarine destroyer, and two Ropucha-class
(project 775) landing ships the Minsk and the Novocherkassk
to the Syrian coasts. At the same time, the US Navy is deploying
a fifth Arleigh Burke class Destroyer, the USS Stout.

French
Navy Air Defense Destroyer Chevalier Paul (D621) deploys to
the Syrian coasts

The
French Navy is deploying one of its two Horizon class Air
Defense Destroyers to the Eastern Mediterranean according
to French weekly Le Point. The Chevalier Paul (D621) will
join the four US Navy Guided Missile Destroyers and an undisclosed
number of US and UK submarines already in the area. The role
of the French Destroyer would be to provide air defense for
the fleet, as well as air cover for coalition warplanes should
they get involved in an air assault.

During
three weeks of flight testing the Advanced Super Hornet, Boeing
and partner Northrop Grumman demonstrated that the fighter
can outperform threats for decades to come with improvements
that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give
it significantly more combat range.

The
future USS Coronado (LCS 4) successfully concluded acceptance
trials Aug. 23, after completing a series of graded in-port
and underway demonstrations for the Navy's Board of Inspection
and Survey (INSURV). Acceptance trials are the last significant
milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy, which is
planned for later this fall.

French
Navy deploying Charles de Gaulle Aircraft Carrier in the Mediterranean

According
to French weekly Challenges citing a French MoD source,
France is about to deploy its nuclear-powered aircraft
carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Syrian coasts. The aircraft
carrier and its battle group will join several US Navy vessels
already deployed in the area: USS Gravely, USS Barry, USS
Mahan and USS Ramage.

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Hughes, a global supplier of navigation and surveillance systems,
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Since the launch of SharpEye™, the advanced solid state
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The
guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) participated in
a counter piracy exercise in the Gulf of Aden with elements
of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (Navy) (PLA(N)), Aug.
24-25. Mason joined Chinese destroyer Harbin (DDG 112) and
Chinese auxiliary replenishment oiler Weishanhu (AO 887) to
conduct a series of evolutions including combined visit, board,
search and seizure (VBSS), live-fire proficiency, and aviation
operations to enhance bilateral interoperability in the U.S.
5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).

Lieutenant
Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem
Biqam said the Navy is currently conducting different tests
to improve the performance of its mid-range missiles. “We
have gained good results from our tests on the mid-range Mehrab
and Ra’d missiles in previous wargames and these missiles
have been mounted on Navy warships,” Khadem Biqam told
FNA, reiterating the new tests are being conducted "to
upgrade Mehrab and Ra’d missiles".

U.S.
Navy Increasing its Destroyers Presence in the Mediterranean following
recent events in Syria

The
U.S. Navy has decided to maintain the USS Mahan (DDG-72 Flight
II Arleigh Burke-class destroyer) in the Mediterranean. The
move aims at strengthenin U.S. Navy presence in the region
after new allegations of use of chemical weapons in Syria.
USS Mahan was originally to sail back to its home port in
Norfolk, Virginia. In total, four Burke class destroyers of
the U.S. Navy Sixth fleet are curretly deployed in the Mediterranean
waters: USS Gravely, USS Barry, USS Mahan and USS Ramage.

Latest Aegis Combat System Evolution Demonstrates Extended Line Of Sight
Capability during Test

The
Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy team’s Aegis Combat System
successfully completed the first live firing test that proves
the system can defend beyond its line of sight by integrating
data from a remote sensor to intercept a target.

The
U.S. Navy fired two Raytheon Company Standard Missile-6 interceptors
from the USS Chancellorsville, successfully engaging two cruise
missile targets (BQM-74 drones) in the missile's first over-the-horizon
test scenario at sea. The SM-6 will provide U.S. Navy sailors
and their vessels extended range protection against fixed-
and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise
missiles as part of the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter
Air (NIFC-CA) mission area.

In the first week of August the Mexican Navy (Secretaria de
Marina) and Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract for a
fourth Damen Stan Patrol 4207. The Dutch ship design and shipbuilding
company will supply the Mexican Navy with the design and material
package with which ASTIMAR 1 (the Mexican Navy yard in Tampico)
will build the patrol vessel. In addition, Damen will assist
ASTIMAR 1 with technical support in order to optimize the
delivery time and quality of the vessel.

Royal
Canadian Navy Halifax-class Frigates Modernization and Life Extension
Program

The
12 Halifax-class frigates, commissioned between 1992 and 1995,
form the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy. The ships were
originally designed to accomplish the Cold War missions of
anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, primarily
in the open ocean environment.

Russian
shipyard Open Joint Stock Company "Pella" based
in Leningrad launched the first Project 03160 Raptor high
speed patrol boat for the Russian Navy on 15 August 2013.
The vessel was entirely built by Open JSC “Pella”.

New
coastal command patrol boat with increased capability delivered
to US Navy

The
65PB1101 coastal command patrol boat (CCB) departed Port Angeles,
Wash., to transit to San Diego, Calif., Aug. 5-11. The
boat was manned by a Fleet Integration Team consisting entirely
of Navy Reservists. The CCB underwent developmental testing
in the Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca from April
to August 2013. During testing, the boat encountered wave
heights of 4-6 feet.

At
TADTE 2013, the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology
Exhibition, ROC Navy (Republic of China - Taiwan) unveiled
for the first time a land-based version of the locally designed
and produced Hsiung Feng III (HF-3) supersonic anti-ship cruise
missile. The mobile launcher is a 6 wheeled trailer carrying
4 canisters. Each canister can launch one HF-3 missile.

Two
F-35B Lightning II jets (BF-01 and BF-05) touched down aboard
the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) Aug. 12, kicking
off week of Development Testing II (DT-II) where Wasp Sailors
and Integrated Test Force (ITF) team members are testing and
further validating the F-35B.

Royal
Australian Navy Fired Live MU90 Torpedo as part of Final Acceptance
test

The
Royal Australian Navy has successfully conducted the world’s
first firing of a “war shot” MU90 Lightweight
Torpedo, Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs AO CSC RAN
announced today. ANZAC Class Frigate HMAS Stuart fired the
explosive warhead against a specially designed target in the
East Australian Exercise Area. The successful firing was the
final milestone before the torpedo is accepted for operational
service across the fleet.

Demonstrating
the rapid progress of the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program,
Austal today hosted the keel-laying ceremony for the third
vessel, Cape Nelson, one of eight 56-metre patrol boats that
Austal is designing, building and supporting for the Australian
Customs and Border Protection Service.